Home » Keeneland catalogs 4,164 yearlings for 2015 September Sale

Keeneland catalogs 4,164 yearlings for 2015 September Sale

Key Thoroughbred sale attracts major international and domestic buyers

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Keeneland officials announced today that 4,164 yearlings have been cataloged for the 72nd annual Keeneland September Yearling Sale, to be held Sept. 14-26. The September Sale is globally regarded as the premier Thoroughbred yearling auction, annually attracting major international and foreign buyers. Yearlings cataloged in 2015 represent the world’s elite stallions and include five horses from the first crop of undefeated European champion Frankel (GB).

September Sale catalogs will be available online at Keeneland.com beginning Tuesday, Aug. 11. Print catalogs will be mailed the week of Aug. 24.

This year, Keeneland is the only U.S.-based sales company to offer offspring by Frankel (GB),  who stands in England.

“We are delighted to have yearlings by Frankel in the September Sale,” Keeneland Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell said. “The presence of his yearlings and those by other highly prized international sires reflects the fact that U.S. breeders have traveled overseas to buy mares in foal to these stallions or breed mares to these stallions with the intent of selling the resulting offspring at Keeneland.”

Other prominent foreign-based stallions with yearlings cataloged in September are Dansili (GB), Nathaniel (IRE), Pivotal (GB), Royal Applause (GB) and Sepoy (AUS) from England; Myboycharlie (IRE) and Redoute’s Choice (AUS) from France; and, from Ireland,  Dream Ahead, Excelebration (IRE), Fastnet Rock (AUS), Galileo (IRE), High Chaparral (IRE), Invincible Spirit (IRE), Lawman (FR), Lope de Vega (IRE), Mastercraftsman (IRE), Power (GB), Raven’s Pass, So You Think (NZ) and Teofilo (IRE).

Keeneland is where the world comes to buy graded/group stakes-winning horses. To date this year, 79 September Sale graduates have won 84 graded/group stakes in the U.S. and abroad.

Of the total 4,164 yearlings cataloged, 2,168 are colts, 1,995 are fillies and one is a gelding.

Market Stability is Recent Trend

Results of the 2014 September Sale were nearly equal to 2013, continuing a healthy trend toward market stability and confidence in the Thoroughbred industry. During last year’s 13-day sale, 2,819 yearlings were sold for $279,960,500. The average was $99,312, and the median, the critical indicator of a healthy market, remained the same as the record $50,000 from 2013.

Thirteen yearlings sold for $1 million or more in 2014. Topping the sale at $2.2 million apiece were two colts: a son of War Front sold to M.V. Magnier of Ireland-based Coolmore and a colt by Tapit purchased by Shadwell Estate Co. Ltd. of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum of Dubai.

Buyers represented the U.S., Europe and Dubai, along with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Japan, Korea, Russia, and Central and South America. The sale’s 10 leading buyers by total purchases were fairly equally divided between U.S. and international interests.